Competitive Intelligence:
Using Intellectual Property Information
Guriqbal Singh Jaiya
Director, SMEs Division, WIPO
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Outline
Concept of Competitive Intelligence (CI)Importance of CICI Process and ToolsCI and Intellectual Property
IP Information as a Tool for Competitive Intelligence
- Patent Information- Trademark Information- Design Information- Domain Names
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Concept of Competitive Intelligence (CI) (1)
“Competitive Intelligence: A systematic and ethical program for gathering, analyzing, and managing external information that can affect your company's plans, decisions, and operations” (SCIP)
“Competitive intelligence is the gathering and analysis of information from human and published sources about market trends and industry developments that allows for advanced identification of risks and opportunities in the competitive arena.” (Ben Gilad, PhD )
Competitive Intelligence is a process which gives insights into what might happen in the near future
to support business decisions
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What is Competitive Intelligence?
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Concept of Competitive Intelligence (CI) (2)
Competitive Intelligence is NOT Competitor Intelligence
Competitive Intelligence is NOT only for global companies,
large companies BUT also for SMEs
Competitive Intelligence uses open sources, public domain
information NOT spying (breaking laws and use of illegal
means to gather information)
Intelligence NOT Information NOT Data
Intelligence NOT “out of time”
It has “action-oriented implications” for managers
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Concept of Competitive Intelligence (CI) (3)
Military intelligence practices Sun Tzu (Chinese military strategist - 500 BC) the Art of War / Von Clausewitz, “On War” (Prussian General 1852)
National Intelligence activity : national security as a policy issue after War II and link to linked to political science.
More Business oriented around 1980 “Industry and Competitor Analysis” (Porter,)
Now “Competitive Intelligence for Strategic Decision Making.” (SCIP)
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Importance of Competitive Intelligence
Knowledge economy, global competition, shorter product life cycle … increase OPPORTUNITIES and RISKS for enterprises. CI is important because it allows to meet company’s intelligence needs in one of these three functional categories:
STRATEGIC DECISIONS AND ACTIONS, including the development of strategic plans and strategies.
EARLY-WARNING SYSTEM, including competitor initiatives, technological surprise, and governmental actions.
DESCRIPTIONS OF KEY PLAYERS in the specific marketplace, including competitors, customers, suppliers, regulators, and potential partners
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CI Process and Tools (1)
Barriers to Entry
Bargaining Power of Suppliers
Bargaining Power of
Customers
Competitors
Substitutes
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POLITIC
AL ECONOMIC
SOCIO-
CULTURAL
TECH
NO
LO
GIC
AL
Objective: Explain the Competitive Dynamics
What are the industry drivers?
Which of the five forces is/are the dominant in the market?
Co
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etito
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Competitors
Co
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eti
tors
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CI Process and Tools (2)
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CI Process and Tools (3)
Sources of information:
Public domain information such as
newspapers, journals
radio, television
internet, information databases
company publications
official publications by government authorities
reports, statistics,...
Intellectual Property documents
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Competitive Intelligence and Intellectual Property (1)
Understand strategies adopted by competitors in the market
Determine strategic response to remain competitive
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DIFFERIENTIATION LOW COST
FOCUS
Uniqueness Low cost
Industry-wide
Niche
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Competitive Intelligence and Intellectual Property (2)
Key uses of Intellectual Property Assets
Transforms an intellectual asset into a business asset
Exclude others/Entry Barrier: To protect price and
market share by excluding others from a specific marketplace
and as a guarantee of channels to market
Risk Management/Freedom to Operate; Insurance
against legal action by competitors
Partnering: Strategic alliances, commercialization,
licensing, or held as a blocking strategy
Raising Finance/monetization
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Competitive Intelligence and Intellectual Property (3)
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Analysis of Intellectual Property portfolios of competitors may reveal a great deal about the
competitors’ strategies moves
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Competitive Intelligence and Intellectual Property (4)
Role of the Patent system
Every 30 seconds a new patent document is added to the vast technical library of patent documents
In 2007 around 1.85 million filled in the world
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Competitive Intelligence and Intellectual Property (5)
Role of the Patent system
Duality of the IP information system:
Protection and Disclosure of Information
Protection function:
- Inform the public about the scope of protection limited in time and to a particular territory
Disclosure (Information) function:
- Teach in sufficient detail anyone interested in creating/making the invention, without undue experimentation
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Patent Information and Competitive Intelligence (1)
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Patent Information and Competitive Intelligence (2)
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Patent Information and Competitive Intelligence (3)
I. Starting Phase
I II III IV
$
Time
From Supple et al., “Lifecycle Innovation and Patent Strategies”, McMaster World Congress, January 2005
II. Growing Phase
III. Maturing Phase
IV. Declining Phase
Patent Information and General Life Cycle of a Product/Invention
Patent Search earlier in Starting Phase Patent Core Technologies before entering Growing Phase Patent Improvements in Growing / Maturing Phases
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Patent Information and Competitive Intelligence (4)
Questions solved by Competitive Intelligence and Patent information
CI obtains information as to what is occurring in a particular technological area
what are the subjects where research is being done
what are the emerging research lines
who/which are the players in a particular technical field
which are the leading research teams
what are the technological trends
what are the patenting trends
what are the technology portfolios of a company
what are the technical strategies of a company
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Patent Information and Competitive Intelligence (5)
Analyzing the allows to find
applicants / proprietors (further)
cooperating companies
inventors top inventors in a company
IPC symbols fields of expertise, R&D focus
priority data (dates) activity chart of a company
country codes (national patents)
importance of markets
designated EPC states
(foreign) markets of interest
designated PCT states
(foreign) markets of interest
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Statistical Analysis of Patent Documents Concerning a Particular Applicant or Proprietor
Analyzing the allows to find
applicants / proprietors employers, assignments, C.V.
inventors (further) inventor teams, networks
IPC symbols fields of expertise of an inventor
priority data (dates) creativity chart of an inventor
country codes (national patent)
local importance of inventions
designated EPC states value of his inventions
designated PCT states value of his inventions
Statistical Analysis of Patent Documents Concerning a Particular Inventor
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Patent Information and Competitive Intelligence (6)
Analyzing the allows to find
applicants / proprietors market leaders, competitors
inventors experts in a field of technology
IPC symbols related technology
priority data (dates / countries)
evolution/origin of a technology
country codes (national patents)
importance of foreign markets
designated EPC states major regional markets
designated PCT states geographic importance
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Statistical Analysis of Patent Documents Concerning a Particular IPC
Analyzing the allows to find
applicants / proprietors top players in/from a country
inventors important experts
IPC symbols important technology, in / from
priority data (country) workplace of top players
priority data (date) changes within a territory
designated EPC states countries in competition
designated PCT states countries in competition
Statistical Analysis of Patent Filings in or from a Particular Country / Region
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Patent Information and Competitive Intelligence (7)
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Where can patent information be found ?
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Trademark Information and Competitive Intelligence (1)
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Every trademark registered has designated to be according to the International (Nice) Classification of Goods and Services into 45 Trademark Classes (1 to 34 cover goods, and 35 to 45 services).
Class 30: Coffee, tea, cocoa, sugar, rice, tapioca, sago, artificial coffee; flour and preparations made from cereals, bread, pastry and confectionery, ices; honey, treacle; yeast, baking-powder; salt, mustard; vinegar, sauces (condiments); spices; ice.
Class 32: Beers; mineral and aerated waters and other non-alcoholic drinks; fruit drinks and fruit juices; syrups and other preparations for making beverages.
Class 35: Advertising; business management; business administration; office functions.
Class 38: Telecommunications.
Class 44: Medical services; veterinary services; hygienic and beauty care for human beings or animals; agriculture, horticulture and forestry services.
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Trademark Information and Competitive Intelligence (2)
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Trademark Information provides:
Information about competition, products
New marketing trends
- Trademark filings give indications on new players in the industry
Trademarks offer a great way to gauge new branding trends
Trademark filings usually predate product launches or web mentions
Measure commercial activity of a company
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Design information and Competitive Intelligence
Also an international Classification for Industrial Designs under the Locarno Agreement.
32 Classes
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Design information and Competitive Intelligence
WIPO
National and Regional IP Offices: http://www.wipo.int/amc/en/trademark/output.html
Commercial
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Domain Names and Competitive Intelligence
Domain names have become an important part of a company’s brand :
Use of multiple domain names to represent various products
and to serve assorted markets
Domain give access to product and branding strategies
Preserve brand integrity and access to information about
competitor bad faith, cyber squatting or other offenses
Track competitors and determine their market strategy by
conducting inventory of domain name assets and compare it
to trademark databases
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PATENTSCOPE27
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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !
"It is pardonable to be defeated, but never to
be surprised. (Frederick the Great)
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Guriqbal Singh JaiyaDirector, SMEs Division, WIPO